Dark Parties Read Online Free PDF

footsteps. I know what we are both thinking: police.
    “ W-we sh-should run.” Her voice quivers and each word gains extra syllables.
    “No,” I say, and shove my hands in my pockets. “Keep your hands hidden.”
    The sound gets louder. The footfalls seem to echo on the hard surfaces. We are a half block away from the last graffiti—Nicoline’s
     message on the stairs. If the person walks along the embankment, they might miss it. Nicoline and I stand as still as statues.
    The footsteps grow closer and closer. I want to look, but I can’t.
    “Evening,” a deep male voice says when the footsteps are practically upon us.
    “Oh, hi,” I say, turning slightly and trying not to react when I see the jet-black of his police uniform. Homeland citizens
     live in pastels and shades of gray, but somehow the police still have uniforms that are bold.
    “Nice night,” he says, and pauses right behind us.
    “Uh-huh,” we both agree.
    “What are two nice girls like you doing out on your own?” he asks, and takes a step closer. He means why aren’t we partnered
     off and having sex like good little girls.
    “We were just leaving.” I bump into Nicoline and we both sidestep away from him. “Good night, officer.”
    We walk. For what seems like forever, the only sounds we hear are our footsteps on the sidewalk. Is he watching us? At last
     I hear the click and tap of his shoes mixing with ours and getting fainter. I turn around. He’s walking with his head held
     high. He’s scanning the horizon, not looking for messages underfoot. In his dark uniform, he almost seems to disappear into
     the night.
    Now we run and don’t stop until we reach the cinema. I boost Nicoline up to the window and she pulls me through. We lie panting
     for a few seconds on the cool bathroom floor. We wash our hands with foamy pink soap and dry them on our jeans. We slowly,
     casually return to the theater. Our row is full again except for our two empty seats. We edge between bent knees and chair
     backs until we are back where we started. Sanna looks at me with wide, questioning eyes. “Don’t ask,” I whisper to her as
     I pass.
    White words on the black screen start to scroll by. I try to read the words—production assistance, Anthony Mitchell, key grip,
     caterer, Colin, Miranda. I think of my ever-growing List of The Missing. If we were caught, I could be adding all our names
     to my list. Are the credits scrolling by faster? The white words seem to bleed together. The theater goes black. The darkness
     pulls me under. I gulp in air, but it seems to catch and snag and drift away before it can satisfy my aching lungs. My face
     is getting hot. Sanna leans in close and whispers, “It’s okay. Close your eyes and think of sunshine.”
    She thinks it’s my fear of the dark, and it is, but it’s more than that. I almost got caught. If the officer knew what wewere doing, Nicoline and I could have been arrested or worse.
    “Nev, chill.” Sanna rubs my back. “Don’t give in to it.”
    She’s right, but my mind is as blank as the darkness around me. Then Braydon, and our kiss, pops into my mind. A flush of
     passion is followed quickly by the rush of guilt. It’s worse than the darkness. I try to swallow down my fear of the dark,
     of the government, of being caught by the police or, worse, of my best friend finding out about the kiss.
    The lights come up. I can feel everyone’s eyes on me, especially Braydon’s, and I hate it. Sanna waves the others away. I
     fold in half and stutter in little gasps of air. It’s enough. The vice grip around my chest loosens. I stare at Sanna’s bare
     feet. She wiggles her toes at me.
    “I’m okay.” I stand up and shake off my panic.
    “We did it, Nev,” she whispers in my ear.
    “We did it.”

CHAPTER
FIVE

    I’m late. I’m doing a combination run-walk to get to the Mermaid Coffee Shop by ten to meet Ethan. I’m still buzzing from
     last night. Maybe things can change. It’s an